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Educators honored at convocation

The College of Education at Grand Valley will honor two outstanding educators during its convocation ceremony Wednesday, December 5, at 7 p.m. at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

More than 128 graduates are expected to participate. The ceremony is a precursor to Grand Valley’s commencement ceremonies on December 8 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

During convocation, Rodney C. Lewis will receive the Outstanding Alumni Educator Award and Cynthia Mader will receive the Exceptional Service to Education award.

Rodney Lewis is principal of Ottawa Hills High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in printing management from Ferris State University, and two master’s degrees in education leadership and an Educational Specialist degree from Grand Valley. He was the owner of Litho-Tech Printing before working in the field of education. He taught at Creston High School before becoming assistant principal at Ottawa Hills High School.

Cynthia Mader has been an educator for nearly 50 years, with the last 24 in the College of Education at Grand Valley. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature and master’s degrees in English literature, library science, and counseling. She earned a doctorate in higher education from Michigan State University. She is a professor in the Social Foundations program. At Grand Valley she has served as certification coordinator, assistant dean and coordinator for national accreditation. She established the College of Education’s first unit-wide assessment system and initiated numerous proposals including the first advising center and the education and special education majors.

For more information, contact Forrest Clift in the College of Education at (616) 331-6230.